Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing area. Leave at least an hour to stroll and note the variety of buildings, which include
Sino-Portuguese, Thai and Chinese styles. Coffee and art shops are now also here.
Many shops date from the turn of the 20th century and are still owned by the same fam-
ily. Look out for the erstwhile hotel that, back in the good old days, charged 1B per night.
Chung Kai Allied War
HISTORICAL SITE
Cemetery
( 7am-6pm)
Chung Kai was the site of a major prisoner camp during WWII, and
Allied prisoners built their own hospital and church close to here. Most graves have brief,
touching epitaphs for the 1400 Commonwealth and 300 Dutch soldiers buried here.
The cemetery is 4km south of central Kanchanaburi across the Mae Nam Khwae Noi
and can be reached by bicycle.
Lak Meuang
LANDMARK
(City Pillar; Th Lak Meuang; daylight hours; )
The city pillar is at the centre of the old
town and is said to give shelter to local spirits. Just down the road is a statue of King
Rama III and the renovated city wall, which used to stretch for more than 400m and had
six fortresses. Three original cannons remain.
Wat Tham Seua & Wat
Tham Khao Noi
( )
These neighbouring hilltop monasteries are of interest due to their vastly dif-
ferent styles. Wat Tham Khao Noi (Little Hill Cave Monastery) has an intricately de-
signed Chinese-style pagoda, while next door the larger Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave
Monastery) has several styles of
chedi
and an 18m-tall Buddha covered in a golden mosa-
ic.
BUDDHIST TEMPLES
In front of the Buddha image a conveyor belt has small silver trays into which dona-
tions are made and then tipped into a central pot. You can walk to the top or take the easy
option and go by cable car (10B).
The temples are around 14km south of the town centre. If coming by motorbike, take
the right fork of the highway when you reach Tha Meuang, turn right across the Kheuan
Meuang (City Dam) and right again on the other side. By bicycle, avoid the highway by
using back roads that follow the river. Follow Th Pak Phraek and cross the bridge towards
